Illusionary display device



Jan. 6, 1942. H. E. BOHLEN ILLUSIONARY DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 6, 1942.

H. E. BOHLEN ILLUSIONARY DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I l I l I I I I I I l I l l l I I l I l l I Patented Jan. 6, 1942 ILLUSIONARY- DISPLAY 'nEvIoE I Henry E. Bohlen, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application A ine, 1941, Serial No. 389,290

9 Claims.

My invention relates to 'illusionary displaydevices, that is to say, to apparatus for displaying certain. articles in such manner as to attract attention thereto, by reason of the peculiar movement of thesame in such manner that the actuation and support thereof is'seemingly impossible;

The principal object of the invention is to provide an attractive display device particularly adapted to be used for advertising purposes, which'may be placed ina store window, or other suitable location, where the same maybe viewed by the public, and in which the article to be advertised is caused to be-moved about in such manner as to excite'the wonderment of the beholders, whereby the article thus advertised will be impressed upon the minds of those viewing th same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device, of the character aforesaid, in which the illusionary effects are obtained without the use of mirrors or glass plates as essential the apparatus. 7

A further object of the-invention'isto pro parts of' vide a device, of the character aforesaid, which will operate automatically and continuously.

The nature and characteristic features of'the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in' connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of anillusionary display device embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof with the rear portion of the housing shown in section, illustrating parts of the mechanism for actuating the device; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical central section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the construction and arrangement of various operating parts of "the device.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Referring to the drawings, in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, It is the main housing, the front of which is open as at H to permit the article !2, which is to be advertised, to be readily seen from the front.

The top and side walls of the housing may, if desired, have suitableopenings in which mottled glass panels l3are placed'topermit the light to pass to theinterior of the housing; yet preventing a view'of such portions of the mechanism as are disposed and hidden immediately behind'the" article being displayed.

Behind the main'housing I0 is another housing I4 in which most of the mechanism, for

actuating the article in its illusionary "movements, is disposed.

Thearticle l2 to bedisplayed maycomprise any cylindrical object, such, for example,'as an' article made in simulation of a bottle actually used in commerce as a container for a given commodity. However, said object is made in' two parts I5 and l6, one partl5 in'simulation'of the lower portion-of the bottle, and the other'part l 6 'insimulation of the upper part of the bottle;

Thetwo parts are supported on opposite faces of a circular plate member I! by'mea'ns of ball bearings 18. The plate member I! is preferably of a diameter slightly less than the outside diameter of the object I2 being displayed, resulting in the appearance of a groove in the object at this point. The object may also be provided with other grooves l9 and Zllfor the purpose of mis--' direction.

To keep the two parts of the objectinproper relationship with respect to the plateimember l'L-there may be 'provided'a central shaft 2| of 1 square or other non-circularcross 'section. One

end of the shaft Zlis secured to the lower part l5 of the object and said shaft extends'through the plate member ll, as well also through a complementally shaped opening in a transverse wall 22-formed in the upper par't Iii of the object: A

coil spring 23 surrounds the shaft 21' atthe end thereof which is located-beyond the wall member 22 and a cotter pin 24 passing through the end of 7 the shaft 2 l' serves to confine such spring 23' 1 under tension'on the shaft; To permit access to the cotter pin 24, for the purpose of assembling or dismantling of theobject, the top portion of th object is provided with a screw p 2501f the type commonly employed as bottle closures.

The spring23, mounted as aforesaid, serves to hold the two parts l5 and It of the article in proper relationship with the supportingplate member II, with the ball bearings [8, hereinbefore mentioned, properly positioned therebev.tween. The foregoing arrangement is such that simultaneous rotative movement of the two parts l5 and [6 about the central longitudinal axis of the object I2, while the same is supported by the plate member I'lfis permitted the'rebyto give the impression of a single unitary article so rotating,

The means for rotating the article about said axis will be later referred to.

The plate member I! also rotates in its entirety about a horizontal axis, and for this purpose the same is supported at the rear by means of a bent arm 26 which is carried at the front end of a hollow shaft 21. The hollow shaft 21 extends through the rear wall of the housing l and has a gear wheel 28 mounted thereon, which is secured thereto by means of a set screw 29.

The gear wheel 28 is driven by means of a pinion 30 which meshes therewith. The pinion 30 is mounted on a transverse shaft 3! of a speed reduction gear 32, which is mounted on the end of the housing of an electric motor 33. It will, of course, be understood that any other preferred means for actuating the gear wheel 28 may be employed, if desired.

For the purpose of actuating the article about its longitudinal axis, there is provided a friction disc 34 which engages a portion of the cylindrical surface of the article l2, adjacent the supporting plate member I1. The friction disc 34 is mounted on the front end of a horizontal shaft 35 which extends through the hollow shaft 21 which serves, through the medium of the arm 25, to support the plate member I'!.

The rear end of the shaft 35 extends into a sleeve member 36 within which a coil spring 31 is mounted. The coil spring 31 bears at its forward end against a slidable plug 38, which in turn bears against the end of the shaft 35. The sleeve member 36 is mounted in a suitable supporting bracket 39, and is adjustable therein so as to vary the tension of the spring. In this manner, the

requisite degree of friction of the disc 34 against the outer surface of the object I2 is readily obtainable, it being necessary merely to shift the sleeve member 36 within the bracket 39, and then secure the same in position by means of the set screw 40 to vary the degree of frictional engagement of the disc member 34 with respect to the surface of the object.

The shaft 35 which carries the friction disc 34 has mounted thereon a pinion 4| which is en-' gaged and driven by means of a gear 42 mounted on an idler shaft 43. The gear 42 also meshes with, and is driven by, a pinion 44 which is mounted on another idler shaft 45.' The idler shaft 45 also carries a pinion 46 which meshes with, and is driven by, the main gear 28 hereinbefore referred to.

By the use of the foregoing gear trains, the object will be rotated in its entirety about the horizontal axis of the hollow shaft 21 and at the same time will be rotated at the proper relative speed about its own longitudinal axis. Hence, the object being displayed will have a composite movement about the two axes in such manner as to be exceedingly mystifying to persons viewing the same.

There is thus provided an illusionary display device which has been found to be exceedingly attractive, and which will effectively serve to hold the attention of persons viewing the same by reason of their inability to determine the manner of operation.

The portion of the peripheral edge of the plate member I! which is visible to the spectator is blended into the design of the object being displayed, and will seemingly be rotating in unison therewith.

I claim:

1. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting member therefor, the peripheral edge of said supporting member blending into the design of the object, hidden means for rotating the supporting member about the transverse axis, and hidden means for rotatably actuating the object about its own longitudinal axis.

2. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting member therefor, the peripheral edge of said supporting member blending into the design of the object, hidden means for rotating the supporting member in an orbit about the transverse axis, and hidden means engaging a portion of the object for rotatably actuating the same about its own longitudinal axis.

3. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed respectively on each face of said supporting plate, the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, hidden means for rotating said plate in an orbit about the transverse axis, and hidden means engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object for rotatably actuating the object about its own longitudinal axis.

4. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed respectively on each face of said supporting plate, the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, hidden means for rotating said plate in an orbit about the transverse axis, hidden means engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object for rotatably actuating the same about its own longitudinal axis, and means extending through the supporting plate for simultaneously rotating the other part of said object in unison with the initially actuated part thereof.

5. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed respectively on each face of said supporting plate and the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, means engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object for rotating the object about its longitudinal axis, and means for rotating the object supporting plate about the transverse axis.

6. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed respectively on each face of said support- .ing plate and the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, means for rotating the object about its longitudinal axis comprising a friction disc engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object, means for actuating said friction disc, and means for rotating the object supporting plate about the transverse axis.

7. In a display device of the character detatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed respectively on each face of said supporting plate and the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, means for rotating the object about its longitudinal axis comprising a friction disc engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object, a drive shaft on which said friction disc is secured, said drive shaft being disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the object, and means for rotating the object about the transverse axis comprising a hollow shaft surrounding said drive shaft and having an extending arm carrying the object supporting plate.

8. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto. a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed respectively on each face of said supporting plate and the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, means for rotating the object about its longitudinal axis comprising a friction disc engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object, a drive shaft on which said friction disc is secured, said drive shaft being disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the object, means for rotating the object about the transverse axis comprising a hollow shaft surrounding said drive shaft and having an extending arm carrying the object supporting p1ate,and means for rotating said shafts.

9. In a display device of the character described, a cylindrical object simultaneously rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and about an axis transverse thereto, a supporting plate therefor, the object comprising two parts disposed-respectively on each face of said supporting plate and the peripheral edge of said plate blending into the design of the object, means for rotating the object about its longitudinal axis comprising a friction disc engaging the surface of one of the parts of the object, a drive shaft on which said friction disc is secured, said drive shaft being disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the object, means for rotating the object about the transverse axis comprising a hollow shaft surrounding said drive shaft and having an extending arm carrying the object supporting plate, and power operated means for rotating said shafts at different speeds.

HENRY E. BOHLEN. 

